Texans Brace for ‘Catastrophic’ Flooding as Authorities Assess Storm Damage

Hundreds of thousands of Texans woke up Saturday morning with no power, as rescue workers began to assess the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey. The storm barreled through as a Category 4 hurricane late Friday before weakening into a Category 1 storm that is expected to linger in the area for days. President Trump said he will be closely monitoring the storm early Saturday, and that authorities are “leaving nothing to chance.” He signed a disaster declaration at Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott's request late Friday, directing federal aid to help deal with the fallout of the hurricane. About 293,000 residents suffered power outages as a result of the storm, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas said on Saturday. Authorities in Corpus Christi asked residents to limit their use of toilets and faucets in light of power outages at the Wastewater Treatment Plants, while San Patrico County ordered residents to boil all water to be used for consumption. The National Weather Service warned Saturday that while the storm has died down, residents should still brace for “catastrophic” flooding in certain areas that may see as much as 40 inches of rain.